School Board Wants Fixes To District Boundary Plans

The Broward County School Board cannot unanimously support any of six proposals redrawing the boundaries that determine which voters they will represent in 2002.

By the end of Tuesday's workshop, the board had rejected four maps outlining various options and ordered overhauls of the remaining two before the public is consulted.

Most board members would prefer to make no changes.

"I like my district the way it is," said Carole Andrews, who represents District 1 in southeast Broward.

But district lawyers advised that state law requires the board to try to ensure that board members' districts contains as close to the same number of residents as reasonably possible. They must make the effort in odd-numbered years, like 2001.

Balance gives each resident equal access to and the same amount of clout with their School Board member, said Board Chairman Paul Eichner.

Rapid growth in western Broward, which forced the board to redraw boundaries in 1997, has again unbalanced the division of population, according to the district's staff.

The two surviving maps include one that consolidates the borders of District 6, which has been split among Weston, Parkland and part of Coral Springs.

Consensus was elusive Tuesday, even though all board members offered compromises to make the most objectionable proposals more palatable.

Board members said they did not want to lose neighborhoods where they had worked with residents and city officials. Gallagher, for instance, was especially concerned about the possibility of losing Cooper City.

But compromise is inevitable, Eichner said. Under one plan, Eichner, who lives in Weston, would lose all of Parkland, where he has worked to make connections.

"It's not my choice, but it may be what's best for the county," he said.

The two remaining proposals will be changed significantly and considered by the board at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the K.C. Wright Administration Building in Fort Lauderdale.

As proposed this week, "Option 3" had District 6 curve from Southgate Boulevard along the county's western border and then east to University Drive. District 4 would encompass Parkland, Coral Springs and portions of Tamarac, North Lauderdale and Lauderhill. District 1 gains part of Hollywood; District 2 loses Cooper City, part of Davie and Hollywood; District 3 gains part of Pompano Beach; District 7 gains part of Coconut Creek and Margate.

Under "Option 4," District 1 loses Davie, but gains portions of Pembroke Pines and Hollywood; District 2 loses Davie and part of Pembroke Pines; District 3 gains portions of Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, Pompano Beach and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea; District 4 gains Coral Springs and Margate and loses Sunrise; District 5 loses Oakland Park and gains North Lauderdale and portions of Pompano Beach, Lauderhill and Fort Lauderdale; District 6 remains split, keeps Weston, Sunrise and Parkland and shares portions of Davie and Lauderhill; District 7 has Oakland Park, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and portions of Pompano Beach and Coconut Creek

The district staff will have a workshop for the public on how to draw up their own proposal for the board's consideration at 6 p.m. Friday and tentatively Monday at K.C. Wright.

Bill Hirschman can be reached at bhirschman@ sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4513.